Stories from Wednesday, January 4, 2006

Hurricane Katrina brings Manila native home(01/04/06)Regenia Wadley Riley is glad to be back home, safe and sound, in her hometown of Manila. Born and raised in Manila, she left in 1985 to make her home in Louisiana. "It was a beautiful place and I loved it there," Riley said. "I had thought about moving back to Manila but those plans were in my future until Hurricane Katrina changed the lives of so many people."...

Postmasters reflect on 2006(01/04/06)We have gone into a New Year. Hopefully, 2006 will be a great year for everyone. The Town Crier took a poll asking area postmasters their opinion on what would make 2006 a great year for our nation and for our communities. For 50 years we have seen our religious freedoms, our godly heritage, our right to acknowledge God slowly chipped away until today our country is but a shadow of what it was founded to be, one nation, under God...

Lady Mustangs Claim Runner-up Title in NEA(01/04/06)Town Crier Sports Staff Brittney Richardson and Sammi Fowler combined for 56 points, 26 rebounds and 14 assists as the Lady Cougars jumped on Buffalo Island Central's Lady Mustangs early and never looked back in posting an 80-58 victory in the finals of the A-AA division of the Northeast Arkansas Invitational Tournament Saturday afternoon in Jonesboro...

Lady Mustangs escape Sloan Hendrix with 46-45 win(01/04/06)It takes a bit of good fortune to win championships, so Buffalo Island Central's 46-45 cliffhanger win over Sloan Hendrix in the quarter-finals of the Northeast Arkansas Invitational Tournament may be just the piece of luck the Lady Mustangs need to win the title...

Riverside Wins NEA in 80-79 Overtime Thriller(01/04/06)Do you believe in miracles? You can bet your bottom dollar the Riverside Rebels do. Riverside reached deep into their pockets and picked out not one but two of them as they plucked the crown jewel of all Northeast Arkansas tournament championships with an improbable and heart-stopping 80-79 victory over Cave City to claim the 59th annual NEA Invitational Tournament Class A-AA title Saturday night at the Convocation Center in Jonesboro...

Rebels knock out Mustangs 79-75 in overtime(01/04/06)The long awaited match-up between arch-rivals Riverside and Buffalo Island Central more than lived up to its billing as the two teams slugged it out like a pair of heavyweights and showed why this is the premier rivalry in Northeast Arkansas. When the dust had settled, it was Riverside that delivered the knock out punch as the Rebels lassoed the Mustangs in a 79-75 overtime thriller in the semi-finals of the Northeast Arkansas Invitational Tournament Friday night at the Convocation Center in Jonesboro before a raucous crowd of more than 6,500.. ...

Taylor sets NEA scoring record as BIC advances(01/04/06)Buffalo Island Central used a record setting performance by senior guard Brooks Taylor in leading the Mustangs past Marked Tree and Maynard to set up a battle with arch-rival Riverside in the semi-finals of the 59th annual Northeast Arkansas Invitational Tournament Friday night at the Convocation Center in Jonesboro...

Rebels advance to NEA semi-finals(01/04/06)Nothing has come easy for Riverside this basketball season, but the Rebels have found a way to win basketball games. Riverside now finds themselves in the semi-finals of the A-AA division of the Northeast Arkansas Invitational Tournament after two hard fought victories over East Poinsett County and Sloan Hendrix...

Delaplaine upsets Lady Rebels 64-59 in NEA(01/04/06)Riverside Lady Rebels came into the Northeast Arkansas Invitational Tournament at the Convocation Center in Jonesboro riding a wave of victories in building a 12-3 record which was good enough to earn them the fourth seed. But in a game of runs, the short handed Delaplaine Lady Indians used a strong free throw performance and 32 points from 5'11" junior Karen Dodd to upset the Lady Rebels 64-59 last Friday...

Hurricane blows past Manila 81-48(01/04/06)Jonesboro proved too strong and quick against an out-manned Manila team as the second seeded Golden Hurricanes blew their way past the unseeded Lions 81-48 Tuesday in the quarter-finals of the 3A-4A-5A division of the 59th annual Northeast Arkansas Invitational Tournament at the Convocation Center in Jonesboro...

Trumann eliminates Lady Lions from NEA Tourney(01/04/06)Trumann used an 8-0 run to end the first quarter and break open a close game as the Lady Wildcats eliminated Manila 64-49 from the Northeast Arkansas Invitational Tournament Friday afternoon at the Convocation Center in Jonesboro. Trumann held a slim 10-9 lead with 1:35 left in the opening period but pulled away to an 18-9 advantage by reeling off the quarter(s last eight points...

Benefit basketball tournament held in Manila(01/04/06)The second annual benefit pee-wee basketball tournament was held in Manila to help several families going through medical crisis. Last year the benefit was held for Jim Jones and family. This year the tournament was held for three Manila residents, Linda Tune, Gary Hill and Trenia Morris Eichorn . Games began on Monday night, Dec. 26 and went through Saturday, Dec. 31...

Harlis Elgine "Windy" Cole - Leachville(01/04/06)Harlis Elgine "Windy" Cole, 67, of Leachville, died Saturday, Dec. 24, 2005, at Great River Medical Center in Blytheville. Born at Cushman, he was the son of the late Jim and Elsie Holloway Cole and had been a Leachville resident since 1948. He was a retired farmer and member of the Leachville Church of Christ. ...

Winnie Marie Pierce - Leachville(01/04/06)Winnie Marie Pierce, 81, of Leachville, the widow of T.J. Pierce, died Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2005, at Crittenden Memorial Hospital in West Memphis. Born at Yellville, she was the daughter of the late J.W. and Anne Doshier Patterson and had been a Leachville resident for more than 70 years. She was a retired bookkeeper for the former B.C. Land Company in Leachville, a member of the First United Methodist Church and a charter member of the Leachville PEO Chapter AC...

Lois Sigman - Dell(01/04/06)Lois Sigman, 85, of Dell died Thursday, Dec. 22, 2005, in Gosnell. She was a member of Dell Baptist Church, a former lunchroom worker for the Dell Public School System and a former daycare worker at First Baptist Church in Blytheville. She leaves two daughters, Loretta Payne and Carla Jo Nelson, both of Blytheville; a son, Earl "Kim" Sigman Jr. of Ash Flat; four sisters, three brothers, six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren...

Opal Faye Kuhn Wallace - Searcy(01/04/06)Opal Faye Kuhn Wallace, 75, died Dec. 27, 2005, at her home after a short battle with cancer. She was born April 7, 1930, at Caraway to Hazel Hamilton Kuhn and Robert Walter Kuhn. In 1954, she married Lambert M. Wallace, who died in 1981. She was a graduate of Southern Baptist (now Williams) College at Walnut Ridge and had done graduate studies at Arkansas State University and the University of Central Arkansas. ...

Wilma J. Hamilton Sims - Manila(01/04/06)Wilma J. Hamilton Sims, 79, of Manila, died Monday, Dec. 26, 2005, at the Manila Nursing Center. Born February 20, 1926, in Lafferty Creek, she was the daughter of E.P. and Myrtle Hightower Hamilton. She was a homemaker and of the Pentecostal faith. She enjoyed reading, sewing, and cutting hair. She was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother who enjoyed spending time with her family...

Alvin "Ed" Malone - Flagstaff, Ariz.(01/04/06)Alvin "Ed" Malone, 74, died Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2005, in Flagstaff, Ariz. He was born Aug. 1, 1931 to J.L. and Norma Malone in Black Oak. He graduated from Caraway High School. Before entering the U.S. Navy, he married Estelene Wood and later graduated from Arkansas State University. He and his family moved to Arizona in 1959. He was a teacher and later became principal for the Williams School District until 1988. After retirement, he built and restored a church in Ash Fork...

Kenneth Curtwright Sr. - Paragould(01/04/06)Kenneth Orval Curtwright Sr., 71, of Paragould died Dec. 21, 2005, at his home. He was born June 10, 1934, in Manila. He moved to Flint, Mich., after graduation at Greene County Tech in 1953 and worked at the Buick Motor Division. He was a Southern Gospel singer and sang with the Gospelairs, which changed its name to The Calvaryman Quartet, for 15 years. ...